Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers pinpointed execution errors in the final seconds as the decisive factor in Thursday’s 123-114 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum. Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 54 points, including clutch free throws with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Rivers highlighted missed opportunities on key plays, saying, “We had a foul to give and we didn’t execute it…if they don’t commit it, Kuz would have been open. The second action, we didn’t execute again.” He stressed that the Bucks played hard overall but fell short in crunch-time decision-making.
Ryan Rollins led Milwaukee with a career-high 32 points and 14 assists, earning praise from Rivers for his effort and composure. “He’s just playing so hard, so many minutes…he keeps every time Maxey went to the foul line, he kept looking over at me. I don’t know what I can do for him,” Rivers said, noting the guard’s resilience despite fatigue and physical play.
Rivers also addressed the challenges of playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is sidelined with a left adductor strain. “We have to flash, we have to pass…when we get stuck, trying, that’s not who we are. We have to play with the ball and movement,” he explained.
The coach analyzed the overtime lineup decisions, including closing the period with Myles Turner and substituting Bobby Portis. “We thought we needed another score, another shooter with movement where Myles was more stationary,” Rivers said.
Despite the loss, Rivers praised his team’s overall effort and the ability to stay competitive without their star player. “We were shooting 59% at halftime. We were playing great offense tonight…we’ll find something during the stretch. I think we will,” he said, highlighting the positives to build on moving forward.
Philadelphia overcame the continued absence of Joel Embiid, with Paul George adding 21 points to complement Maxey’s historic performance. The 76ers won the battle on the boards 52-42 and improved to 9-6, snapping a two-game skid, while Milwaukee fell to 8-8, losing four of their last five contests.
Rivers emphasized the learning opportunity the game presented, noting that reviewing tape will allow the Bucks to improve execution in late-game situations. The team returns home to face the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, seeking to refine their offense and maintain competitiveness in Giannis’ absence.
